Tube-well.



T. A. M. BROWNLIE.

TUBE WELL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1912.

1,075,326. Patentd 001114, 1913.

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TUBE WELL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1912.

1,075,326, Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

QZW 4 MA/k COLUMBIA FLANOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, n c

T. A. M. BROWNLIE.

TUBE WELL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 18, 1912.

l,0?5,326. Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0..WASH1NGTON. D. c.

gnomes ancnrnnnn MILLER BnotvNL IE, or AMRITSAR, INDIA.

TUBEPWELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 1%, 1913.

Application filed May 18, 1912. Serial No. 698,208.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS Anon-mam) li TILLER 'BnowNLIE, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, residing at Amritsar, in the Province of Punjab, India, have invented certain new and useful Improvements Relating to Tube- Wells; and I do hereby declare the following to 'bea full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification.

My invention relates to tube wells and .consists in a construction of tube which will be described in the following specification and more particularly defined in the annexed claims and which is suitable for insertion in a bore hole and for the straining and delivery of the water.

The object of my invention is to obtain a relatively large straining area in a short length of strong and yet light tube which is, moreover, of comparatively small diameter.

In a construction according to my invention, the tube is provided with outwardlyprojecting longitudinal corrugations, furrows, pockets or convolutions (hereinafter referred to as convolutions) and straining material is arranged to envelop the tube and to make contact with the outer portions only of the convolutions so that a suitable space or sectional area is maintained between the body of the tube and the straining material. The water passes through the straining material and then through perforations in the walls of the tube into the interior of the latter.

My invention will be more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a part elevation and part ver tical section of a tube constructed and fitted with straining material according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same. Figs. 3, 4, and 5, which are drawn to a smaller scale, are horizontal sections of modified forms of tube.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a is the tube, Z), c, the perforations and (Z, (Z, the convolutions. The tube is preferably made of sheet metal, and the convolutions are made by rolling or pressing. fter the convolutions have been made and the holes punched in the sheet metal, the sheet is trued-up so that the tops or ridges of the convolutions are in one plane. The sheet is then bent into tubular form and joined up with a longitudinal lapriveted joint. The total length. of tubing employed in any well varies according to the conditions. The tube is conveniently made in lengths of about 10 feet (although this length may be varied as may be thought desirable). The circumferential joints may be formed by riveting to each end of each length of perforated tube, a short length 0 of plain tube, a portion of this plaintube being screwthreaded. The perforated tube is expanded over the unthreaded portion of the tube 6 and is riveted thereto. A socket or connecting piece 7 is then screwed on to the threaded portions of the plain tubes attached to the ends of two of the perforated tubes which are to be connected together. I may, however, form the circumferential joint in a spigot and socket fashion, or otherwise, as may be desired.

The straining material which I employ is arranged to suit the nature of the sub-soil. If the latter consists of very fine sand, it is preferable to employ a fine gauze of about 2,500 meshes to the square inch. Vi hen such a fine gauze is employed, I put a coarser netting both below and above the fine gauze in order to protect it. For eX ample, I may with good effect, place a galvanized wire gauze g of 16 meshes to the square inch first around the tube, the longi tudinal joints in this gauze being made by twisting the wires together and care being taken that no ends of wire project outward so as to damage the fine gauze 70 which is next wrapped around the tube. The fine gauze is preferably of copper; and the longitudinal joints, and also any circumferential oints which it may be necessary to employ, are formed by soldering over the fine copper gauze. I place wire netting m of about one half inch mesh over the fine gauze, the joints in this being made by twisting the wires together and soldering, and care being taken that there are no loose ends which might damage the cop )er gauze.

Over the whole and at intervals of about two feet along the tube, I put hoops h of sheet brass, these hoops beingsayone inch wide and 1/32 of an inch thick. These hoops serve to keep the straining material in place. The inner layer of galvanized wire 9 is to withstand any external pressure which might tend to press the fine gauze 7r. inward toward the tube and between the convolutions and tend to break and damage the latter. The outer netting m serves to protect the fine gauze in against damage in handling the tubes and in lowering them into the bore-hole.

In situation where a coarser straining material would suffice, a wire gauze with thicker wires would with advantage be employed, and then the-inner and outer protecting netting would not be required. It is not, of course, necessary to employ copper gauze as the straining material. Copper is, however, very suitable for fine gauze. Galvanized-iron gauze or netting could be used with advantage when a coarser straining material is required.

If the sub-soil is coarse sand or gravel, then a straining material as coarse as 100 meshes per square inch could with advantage be employed.

The desirable diameter of the tube will of course depend to a certain extent on the conditions of the case and on the requirements as regards delivery of water; but, by way of example, I might say that a tube seven inches in diameter and made from l/lGth inch sheet metal would in a great number of cases be found suitable.

The number and shape of the convolutions and of the portions of the tube between the convolutions depend on the nature of the straining material and on the conditions under which the tube is employed. The convolutions may be either open as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 8, or may be closed as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and the parts of the tube between the convolutions may either be straight as shown in Fig. 4, curved with the convex side inward as shown in Fig. 3, or curved with the convex side outward as shown in Fig. 5. Closed convolutions tend to make the tube stiffer and are preferable when the straining material is put on with considerable tension.

The arrangement of perforations shown one rectangular hole alternating with a pair of circular holesis, as a rule, a suitable one; but the arrangement and shape of the holes may, of course, be varied as desired.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as novel and desire to secure by Letter Patent is 1. A strainer comprising a tube formed from sheet metal, said tube being provided with longitudinally disposed outwardly pr0- j ecting convolutions, the sections of the tube between the convolutions lying in the are of a circle, the upper end of the tube throughout its circumference lying in the arc of a circle, the radius of which is equal to the radii of the intervening arcuate sections of the tube and straining material located over and against the outwardly protruding convolutions.

2. A well strainer comprising a tube formed from sheet metal and having longitudinally disposed outwardly projecting convolutions, the sections of the tube between the said convolutions lying in the arc of a circle, the upper edge of the tube about its circumference describing a circle, the radius of which is equal to the radii of the arcuate sections of the tube, straining material located over and against the outwardly 1 rotruding convolutions and a hoop surrounding the straining material.

' 3. A well strainer comprising a tube having longitudinally disposed outwardly projecting convolutionswith intervening perforated sect-ions, the inner edges of the said convolutions approximately meeting each other and a straining material located over and against the outer portions of the convolutions.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

THOMAS ARCHIBALD MILLER BROWNLIE.

Witnesses:

PETER ELWIN lViLLiAMs, WILLIAM CHARLES Gow.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

